Government imposes stock limits on tur and urad dal to control prices
To check the prices, the government on Friday imposed a cap on the stocks of Tur Dal and Urad Dal. This means that wholesalers, retailers, large chain retailers, millers and importers cannot hold pulses more than the specified limit.
New limits will apply from immediate effect i.e. June 2 through October 31.
Pursuant to the Repeal of License Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Certain Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, Order 2023, stock limits for both tur and urad have been established for all states and union territories. The stock limits applicable to each individual pulse will be 200 metric tons for wholesalers, 5 metric tons for retailers, 5 metric tons in each retail outlet and 200 metric tons in warehouse for large chain retailers. In the case of mills, the limit will be the last three months of production or 25 percent of the annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the mills. Regarding importers, importers may not hold the imported stock for more than 30 days from the date of customs clearance.
In a statement, the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs said, “In order to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation and also to improve affordability for consumers in relation to toor dal and urad dal, the Government of India has issued an order whereby it has imposed stock limits on pulses applicable to wholesalers and dealers. retailers, large chain retailers, milling companies and importers.”
The command also said that entities must declare the stock status on the gateway (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) from the Department of Consumer Affairs. If the stocks they are holding are above the prescribed limits, they will have to bring it up to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of issuing the notification.
“Imposing inventory restrictions on Tur and Orad is another step in the government’s ongoing efforts to suppress commodity prices,” the statement read.
Moreover, she added, the Department of Consumer Affairs has been closely monitoring the stock position of tur and urad companies through the stock disclosure portal, which has been reviewed weekly with the state government. It added that extensive interactions with various stakeholders such as importers, mills and retailers were conducted to ensure disclosure of shares, including visits by senior officers to Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states to assess the situation on the ground.